Treat magnolia for possible lightning damage

Question: Last June, my neighbor's oak was hit by lightning and died. By September, the top foot of my adjacent magnolia turned brown. If I cut out the top, will the tree survive?

Answer: Most obvious after a lightning strike is the severely affected tree. Sometimes, only the bark is split, but other times the tree quickly dies. What may not be noticed is damage to other trees that could be some distance from what appears to be the main strike. Your tree could have been hit, too, but only the top damaged. This area may have gone unnoticed but became infected and now is declining too. Other factors may cause tops of trees to decline, too, but the control is similar.

Remove the affected portion several inches to a foot below any wounds and into healthy wood to stop the decline. A liquid copper fungicide can be applied to prevent further infection following label instructions. Then give the tree normal care of a spring feeding and keep the soil moist to encourage healing and new growth.

Q. Several blueberry shrubs were planted in the wrong spot in our landscape. When is the best time to move the plants?

A. Now is a great time to make the move. The plants are least active during cooler weather which means less stress for the blueberries and you. Make sure the soil is thoroughly moistened a few days prior to the move. Then test the new site for the proper acidity level.

Remember, blueberries need a very acid soil to be successful. If the new site is not acid enough, try to adjust the pH to the 4.5 to 5.5 range using soil or agricultural sulfur and follow label instructions. Another way to make sure the soil is acid enough is to incorporate composted pine bark.

When you are ready to move the blueberries, dig large intact root balls. Position the plants at their original depth and form a berm of soil at the edge of the root balls to retain water. Add a pine bark or pine straw much up to the root balls. Then keep the area moist to help the plants become established.

Q. I pruned my hibiscus hedge last spring and never saw a bloom all year. I have two other leggy hibiscus plants that have been in bloom all year. Should I prune them? If yes, when will they rebloom?

A. No blooms for a year is certainly a disappointment but not uncommon. Much of the recovery time needed depends on the severity of the pruning and the care afterward. Some gardeners do selective pruning with hibiscus by taking out or shorting the older stems. They leave a portion of the younger shoots that are starting to bloom. This way the plant is always producing some color.

When plantings are given a major pruning, the time to first blooms can be months to over a year. After pruning give these plantings a light feeding with a blossom booster product to encourage some growth. Too heavy or frequent feedings can keep the plants producing only stems and leaves. Another feeding can be applied in May and in August. Water during the dry times but avoid overwatering that could encourage just foliage.

Q. My azaleas have black-and-yellow spots on the leaves and the plants are thinning. Two appear to be dying. How can I help the plants?

A. It's a good bet cercospora leaf spot caused by a fungus is responsible for much of the plant decline. Heavy leaf spot can reduce plant vigor and the azaleas become susceptible to other organisms. Start a good control program when the new leaves form in late winter or spring.

Apply a fungicide that lists leaf-spot control such as Bayer Disease Control for Roses, Flowers and Shrubs, Ortho Max Garden Disease Control or Southern Ag Thiomyl Systemic Fungicide following label instructions. Copper-containing fungicides may also help and several brands are available. At the beginning of the rainy season, start additional monthly fungicide applications until early fall. Where plants are declining see if pruning to remove the dead portions, providing four feedings a year and keeping the soil moist can help bring them back.

Q. I have 4-foot tall ti plants that are turning brown and dead-looking at the bottom. Can I trim them back to a foot from the ground and expect them to survive?

A. Plants that survived the winter cold certainly won't mind a heavy trimming. Ti plants, a dracaena relative, don't like the cold and often the leaves turn brown even without the freezing temperatures. Cutting them back to near the ground should give the plants a fresh start from the numerous buds waiting to sprout along the lower stems. New growth may be slow, but you should have a good-looking plant for the hot, humid days of summer which ti plants definitely prefer.